October 3, 2008

The video was created by political-satire site BarelyPolitical.com, a unit of New York-based Web-TV company Next New Networks. Barely Political also produced the popular viral Web video “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama.” The site was acquired by Next New Networks in 2007. Next New Networks has worked with Lionsgate in the past to promote such films as the Jet Li movie “War.” Lionsgate declined to comment on the new spoof video. Barely Political plans to release another video with deleted scenes and outtakes, likely to coincide with tonight’s vice-presidential debate.

Here's the video, which is pretty funny:

There's a second video here, but as you can see, unfortunately, Obama Girl is a terrible actress when she tries to play herself as the actress playing Sarah Palin. She needs to stay in cartoon mode, and she's fine in the trailer.

The actual political content of all this is pretty thin in my view. I suppose it's anti-Palin, but it also works in her favor in various hard-to-pin-down ways. Perhaps it all depends on whether you start out wanting to like or hate her.

Anyway, I guess it's pretty effective marketing for the Oliver Stone movie, since the video is very viral.

Who wants to see an Oliver Stone movie about George W. Bush in 2008? I mean, who would pay money to see such a thing? Even people who hate Bush are kind of over him. To whom is this movie supposed to appeal, aside from Oliver Stone?

The real Sarah Palin played a flute as part of the contest. The spoofer should have been blowing a skin flute to complete the caricature of dumb bimbo - what an utter lack of imagination and creativity. Would I be considered a racist if I suggested the spoofer blow a black skin flute??

This trailer is funny; nothing mean, nothing the Palin fans haven't touted about their gal before. It's the kind of comic satire that can be aimed at anyone running for or holding office -- just some good-natured shots at a politician.

Oliver Stone lost me with "JFK." Any idiot who buys into Jim Garrison's psychotic ramblings can't think his way out of a paper bag. It's enough that Garrison ruined Clay Shaw, but for Stone to repeat that slander and shape it in an even more unsavory way (all that homophobic drag queen bullshit) is just beneath contempt.

You know, there is a line between humorous satire and angry screed. And it's not that fine a line, either. In my estimation both of these are on the right side of that line. Neither one of these was blowout funny but they were pretty good.

My favorite anti-Bush quote of all time is this: "With a Bush, Dick, and a Colin in the White House, you know someone's gonna get screwed."

The movie is not the point. It may tank, so what? The point is the trailers. They are political ads designed to change how people vote. Same thing, I think, with American Carol, Religulous, etc. They are campaign ads that get around the electioneering restrictions. It's not "people are political near the election, so they'll go to the movie" but "there's an election coming, let's influence voters."

Touting that Palin's husband killed the mayor of Wasilla while drinking and driving isn't one of I've heard.

It's hyperbole. He has an old DUI charge. Satire exaggerates, from both perspectives. That hyperbole makes fun of both the GOP "it was a youthful excess" excuse and the Democrat "Oh my God, her husband has a DUI!" hysteria.